Ellie@Home by Nicole Kapise-Perkins

   Hello, hello. I hope everyone is enjoying the lovely early-June weather. Massachusetts has seen days in the high 80's (yesterday) and the mid-60's (today...gotta love New England!). My summer class is progressing, not without some hiccups, all on my end as I knew what I needed to do for my graduation portfolio and proceeded to do basically the entire opposite. However, as I am taking ONLY this one class, and ONLY have to write this one chapter (rewrite this one chapter...) I have plenty of time to read! I am balancing it with watching  Red Sox games and devoted some time to the Stanley Cup playoffs, but even with those distractions I have managed to take a huge bite out of my Summer Reading List. I have gotten through Imagining Characters , Seduction and Betrayal , Trial By Ice (an absolute comedy of errors that was doomed to fail before the expedition even set sail. Sadly, someone had to die for that to be realized), Torture Mom (HORRIFYING), Becoming the Villa...

   Somehow, some way, I have managed to survive the end-of-school wrapup madness that included a field trip to Old Sturbridge Village, field day, Taekwondo belt testing, a kid's tough-mudder, PLUS mu husband's birthday and Father's Day. (And I'm doing schoolwork in between. Ack!) It's been a whirlwind couple of weeks, and I'm feeling the need for comfort food. My favorite? Risotto. Creamy, comforting, lovely carb-filled risotto. I love how versatile risotto is: make it with beef broth and mushrooms for a winter dinner, add baby peas for spring. My absolute favorite fits in with the summer season: risotto with leeks, peas, and goat cheese. There are probably recipes for this particular combination, but here's how I make mine. Enjoy! Risotto with Leeks, Peas, and Goat Cheese 5 c chicken broth 4-5 sprigs fresh thyme *** 2 TBS olive oil 2-3 leeks, thinly sliced and well-rinsed 2 c Arborio rice 1/4 c white wine 16 oz package frozen petite peas salt ...

      Every summer the Highland Foundation works with sponsors to bring free admissions to various museums and historical sites in Massachusetts. This year's list has been released, and I am so excited! June 28 Plimoth Plantation has free admission, July 12 the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and the Springfield museums, July 26 the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum...the list goes on and on!        I am planning on treating myself to an outing to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and the Emily Dickinson Museum, and the whole family will be going to the Franklin Park Zoo and the EcoTarium in Worcester in August. If my husband and I can squeeze in another Friday off, we may go to the Museum of Fine Arts, because, well, why not??? He is looking at knee surgery sometime this summer, so we'll see how mobile he actually is. (If he's stuck on the couch I'll take lots of pictures to share with him. Aren't I nice?)     ...